Movie Reviews

"Okay, I still think the ORIGINAL CSI from Las Vegas is the BEST of all these CSI programs, but no one can deny David Caruso's depiction of "Horatio Caine" is unique in and by itself.

I first saw Caruso as the young deputy named "Mitch" in Sylvester Stallone's 1982 original "First Blood" theatrical film and thought "hey, this kid has some talent." When he later appeared on "Hill Street Blues" as an Irish Gang leader, he seemed to be earning his oats.

Then came the fiasco of his successful role as officer John Kelly on the mega popular TV crime series, "NYPD Blue." Golden Globe awards followed, and Caruso thought he was ready for the big time of feature films in Hollywood. He abruptly left that successfull series, and immediately tripped over his hugely inflated ego and fell flat on his face. It was an all too often repeated story seen quite regulary in the entertainment industry.

But as fate would have it, he had a second chance for fame and fortune befall him in 2002 when he became the lead role in this hit series, "C.S.I. - Miami." You can still see a bit of the smug, self-indulgent attitude come out in his role as Lt. Horatio Caine, the head of an elite Criminal Scene Investigation squad that steps into major crimes to pick apart the finite evidence and solve the mysteries behind the madnesses of the Miami-Dade Police Department.

It is a character we had seen before in Prime Time Television, most particulary remembered in William Shatner's depiction of Captain James T Kirk in the Star Trek series of the 60's, then later as "Admiral Kirk" in the Star Trek feature films. The slow affected speech patterns, the careful thoughtful pauses, and the dramatic looks all characterized a personality supremely confident in his job, but almost laughable in their "cartoon quality" of acting ego gone amuck.

Caruso tops this off with positioning himself into constant sideways stances, putting on his sunglasses at the dramatic entry line of the show, and his leaning into the camera and fellow actor during emotional lines that over empasize their dramatic impact; but make us all warm and fuzzy inside that this guy knows who he is, what he is doing, and is going to get the job done by the close of the show.

It is Campy acting at its best; quite predictable but also a joy to watch.

Emily Proctor is an excellent "second" in command, with her cute Southern twang, her droll sense of humor, and yet her undeniable belief in herself as a talented insightful investigator. Her beauty and intelligence is an unbeatable combination, and Proctor pulls it off with class and professionalism.

Rory Cochrane's "Speedle" is missed terribly now after his demise in the cast, and we tolerate Adam Rodriguez's role as "Eric Delko." as his overacting seems to be toned down a notch as the series has matured. The one laughable episode where Rodriguez suddenly knows how to fly a helicopter was rediculous in premise, but provided a laugh to the more skeptical viewer so we let it go and continued to watch with tongue in cheek, and a smirk on our collective faces.

All four of the C.S.I. series take the premise of their typical duties in a real police scenario over the top, as all too often they are involved in the actual apprehension and arrests of the felons on the streets. Standing right next to the SWAT teams with guns in hand is totally a fabrication of overactive Hollywood writers to infuse more "Action" into what truly is a behind the scenes job with microscopes and computers.

But this is Hollywood TV, and we've come to expect exaggeration for the sake of entertainment.

So give "C.S.I. - Miami" FIVE STARS for helping you forget that many murders still go unsolved, and that you actually might be safe on your vacation trip to Miami Beach next year. I would still look over your shoulder from time to time.......and stay away from dark alleys."

CSI: Miami LOVE IT!!

MommyofTwo | Long Island, New York | 02/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My husband bought these for me for Christmas, and I have to say it is the best gift i have ever gotten. I love CSI:Miami, and these DVD's are amazing. They have every episode in the original order in which they were aired on network television. The extras are just as good. We started watching this christmas night and we are still watching them. Whenever we finish I am planning on watching them over again until season 7 is released on DVD. Not to mention you cant beat the price, you are not going to find all 6 seasons for any cheaper then this, plus free shipping. Love it. Bottom Line - If you like CSI:Miami you cannot beat this collection."